Time sure flies – after writing about Switch 2 (and Switch Pro, remember that?) rumours for years and years, I’ve now had the Switch 2 for a few weeks, and still can’t quite believe that it’s here. Despite that disbelief, though, the launch of any new console like this also gives a rare opportunity to assess a device over the course of weeks and months.
I am wholeheartedly behind my editor Mike’s glowing review of the Switch 2, but as time passes and I use it more, I’ve started to realise that one of its minor shortcomings isn’t so minor for me. Namely, its middling battery life, which I’m finding more of an obstruction than I first realised.
Nintendo was relatively upfront about the Switch 2’s battery life, which is no better than the Switch 1’s, and in real-use scenarios, can often be worse. This was no surprise to tech experts, either, since the console has a bigger, higher-resolution screen to power with higher-fidelity graphics. All of that impacts how long the console can last in handheld mode, as it should.
Still, some people had observed that, while headline Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World or the upgraded version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might drain it fast, older, lower-power original Switch games might be easier on the battery. I’ve found that true, but in a more limited sense than I’d hoped.
So far, whether I’ve been playing Mario Kart World or the older Dragon Quest XI, Fast Fusion or Breath of the Wild, I haven’t seen my Switch 2 last much longer than 2.5 hours at the outside. It more often seems to work out at roughly 1% battery for every 60-90 seconds of gameplay. That’s not the end of the world, but I am a little curious to know how I’d achieve the 6.5 hours that Nintendo says is its maximum life.
Something that I’ve noticed in the last couple of weeks, meanwhile, is that leaving the Switch 2 on standby sees it drain way more than expected when left overnight. I’ve picked up the Switch 2 after eight or nine hours to find it’s lost 50% of its charge, which isn’t great for those who leave their devices around.
I’ve turned on the setting that limits the Switch 2’s capacity to what Nintendo calls “around 90%” of its charge, in the hopes of preserving its battery health longer in the coming years. With that setting seemingly topping the console out at no more than 87% charge, I’m starting to think I might reverse my decision. After all, with relatively slow charging speeds that shouldn’t burn out the battery, I might prefer to eke the most I can out of it for now, before upgrading when the inevitable OLED model comes in a couple of years.
All of this is the reason why we’ve been recommending Belkin’s new Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2, which bundles a 10,000mAh power bank with a great case to house it and the Switch 2. It’s basically a must-have if you plan to travel with your new handheld at this point!
